Baking Like Baba: Eastern European Holiday Cookies on a Budget

There’s nothing quite like the smell of holiday cookies baking in the oven. For many of us with Eastern European roots, the holidays are synonymous with the delicious and buttery cookies that our babas (grandmothers) used to make. This holiday season, why not start your own baking tradition with these budget-friendly recipes for classic Eastern European holiday cookies?

Polish Kolaczki

These delicate and flaky cream cheese cookies are a Polish holiday staple. They can be filled with a variety of fruit preserves, but apricot and raspberry are two of the most popular.

• Budget-Friendly Tip: Use store-brand cream cheese and fruit preserves to save money on this recipe.

• Recipe: [Link to a budget-friendly kolaczki recipe]

Russian Tea Cakes

These simple and elegant cookies are also known as “Mexican wedding cakes” or “snowball cookies.” They’re made with butter, powdered sugar, and nuts, and they have a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s simply irresistible.

• Budget-Friendly Tip: Walnuts or pecans are a great choice for this recipe, and they’re often on sale during the holidays.

• Recipe: [Link to a budget-friendly Russian tea cakes recipe]

Czech Linzer Cookies

These beautiful and delicious sandwich cookies are a true holiday showstopper. They’re made with a buttery almond dough and a sweet raspberry jam filling.

• Budget-Friendly Tip: Make your own raspberry jam to save money on the store-bought version. All you need is a bag of frozen raspberries, a little bit of sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

• Recipe: [Link to a budget-friendly Linzer cookies recipe]

This holiday season, fill your home with the delicious smells of your childhood and create new memories with these timeless and budget-friendly Eastern European holiday cookies. Happy baking!